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A SHOT AT GETTING THINNER?

Saturday, December 30, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we examine the effects of these new obesity drugs, take a glimpse at our stunning Pictures of the Year, learn about New Year's celebrations around the world … and revisit the history of “Auld Lang Syne.”

Weight loss drug injection pen

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAAP ARRIENS, NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

Shots to lose weight? That seems to be all the rage among both celebrities and people who really need to shed the pounds for health reasons. But these obesity drugs (such as the above Ozempic injection pen) are expensive.

A steady stream of new drugs—which mimic naturally occurring hormones—are now in the pipeline. Will this competition finally lead to lower prices and greater supplies beyond injectables? Here's what we know.

READ THE FULL STORY

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Field specialists examine a North Island brown kiwi

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBIN HAMMOND

See our stunning pictures of the year (Above,
field specialists examine a brown kiwi bird in New Zealand.)

IVF revolutionized fertility. Will these new methods do the same?

How can virtual reality help people with hoarding disorder?

What is jet leg—and how to avoid it

How to stop inflammation

What smoking does to your body—and how it often can bounce back when you quit

Who put the bubbles in bubbly?

The secrets in Anne Boleyn's Book of Hours

Why do we crave sugar and fat? What can it do to our bodies?

What can bubble formations in ice tell us about our climate?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

In this picture from the January 1957 issue, guests at the Spanish Embassy in Washington, D.C., dance a quadrille at a New Year's Eve party. The magazine story followed the length of Pennsylvania Avenue in the capital city, documenting moments of American history along the way.

PHOTOGRAPH BY VOLKMAR WENTZEL AND DONALD MCBAIN, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

A very formal New Year's Eve: The photograph (above) is from the January 1957 issue of National Geographic. Guests at the Spanish Embassy in Washington, D.C., dance a quadrille at a New Year's Eve party. New Year's Eve is celebrated differently—and at different times—around the world.

Related: Who celebrates the new year first and last? It’s complicated.
Related: The new year once started in March—here's why

RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR

LAST GLIMPSE

Robert Burns' original manuscript for Auld Lang Syne is seen here up for auction.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF J MITCHELL, GETTY IMAGES

225 years young: It wouldn't be New Year's Eve without “Auld Lang Syne”—and we have legendary Scottish poet Robert Burns to thank for it. He wrote the poem and fine-tuned the melody for the traditional song. (His original manuscript, above.)

HOW DID IT GET POPULAR?

Today’s soundtrack: Same Old Lang Syne, Dan Fogelberg

This newsletter has been curated and edited by David Beard, Nancy San Martín, Nishita Naga, and Jen Tse. Thanks for reading! Know someone who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup.

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